Tyrese Haliburton Reveals His Immediate Reaction to Knicks Winning NBA Title

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton experienced of a wide range of emotions watching the New York Knicks win the NBA championship.

Haliburton joined the Boardroom Podcast for a one-on-one interview with Speedy on their 'Boardroom Talks' segment. It was then when he revealed what his first reaction was to seeing New York win the title.

"When the Knicks won, I thought to myself, 'I gotta turn this sh*t off. Like, I cant--I can't watch it," Haliburton said.

Considering the history between the Pacers and Knicks, Haliburton's initial reaction isn't all that surprising.

Indiana and New York have developed one of the NBA's best rivalries over the past few seasons, meeting in consecutive postseasons before Haliburton missed last season while recovering from a torn Achilles.

When asked of he thought the Knicks still would have won the championship had he been healthy, Haliburton didn't shy away from backing himself and his team.

"I don't know, bro," Haliburton said. "I mean, do I think if I was healthy and we played them, would we win? Of course. I'm an NBA player. I'm a competitor. Anybody elsie in my situation would say the same thing."

Haliburton Brunson — May 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) react during the first quarter of game five of the eastern conference finals during the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Still, Haliburton made it clear that he wasn't trying to take anything away from the Knicks championship run.

"What they did in the playoffs was special," Haliburton said. "I don't want to demean or put down what that was, because that was crazy."

That created an unusual situation for Haliburton. The Knicks might be one of Indiana's biggest rivals, but several of their players are also people he considers friends away from the on-court rivalry.

Haliburton initially wanted nothing to do with watching New York's championship celebration. But when his wife, Jade, and friends asked if he wanted them to turn it off, he changed his mind.

"You know what? Leave it on. Let me watch it," Haliburton recalled saying.

Watching Jalen Brunson celebrate with his wife, Ali, was particularly meaningful to Haliburton. He also mentioned enjoying seeing Josh Hart with his twins and Karl-Anthony Towns with Jordan Woods.

"These are all guys that I like," Haliburton expressed.

Of course, don't expect those friendships to make Pacers-Knicks games any less heated next season.

"People are going to hear this, this clip's going to go and they're going to be like, 'Man, the NBA's so soft. It's not what it used be,' yada yada," Haliburton said. "Sure. But when I see them, when they se me on the court, it's smoke. We hate each other when we're playing, but after that, it's love."

Hali KAT — May 31, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) shoots the ball against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the second quarter during game six of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ultimately, watching New York celebrate brought out just about every emotion possible for Haliburton.

"I was angry, but I was also happy," Haliburton said. "I was sad that I didn't get the opportunity to compete in that. I felt every emotion in that."

Now, after spending a season watching from the sidelines, Haliburton has another emotion entering the upcoming season: excitement.

"Happy for those guys," Haliburton said, "and I look forward to being back."

The Pacers and Knicks will face off three times during the regular season: Nov. 13 in Indiana, Nov. 22 and Apr. 11 in New York.

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

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